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And the Season Begins:

He Said,

We Arizonans, especially those living around Phoenix, don’t get much fall foliage without having to take what amounts to be a weekend-long drive. But that doesn’t mean October is without its fall delights for us.

And chief among them is what has become a tradition for our family: A visit to the Pumpkin Patch Fest that goes on every year at a farm in a little but quickly growing town called Queen Creek.

This will be our fifth annual visit to the patch, where we’ll eat chili, ride a cool train ride in the dark where kids dress up in scary costumes along the way and try and scare passengers and the kids get a chance to wander through a corn maze, ride some an old-time little roller coaster, race around on three-wheeled bikes and finally pick out the pumpkins that they’ll carve for display outside our house.

We know that the kids are growing older fast and that they soon may find the fest too childish for their teenaged tastes, so we cherish every moment we share with them at the fest.

Later next weekend, we’ll pull out the Halloween decorations and put a bit of a scare outside our front door for a couple of weeks so that trick-or-treaters who visit us on Halloween get a little extra thrill besides some candy.  This is something we started last year and it was such a hit that we’ll do it again in what is kind of a rehearsal for the much bigger display we will mount at Christmas time.

And while we won’t be going to any costume parties on the weekend before Halloween because we have a formal event to attend, we still look at this whole fall-Halloween season with the enthusiasm you usually see only in children.

Last night 3T and I were talking about this month, and I could see my bride’s eyes lighting up brighter than a candle-lit pumpkin!
And what’s even cooler, our traditions this month start a three-month series of holiday celebrations that always make me think how lucky I am.

3T and I both hope you all can look forward to the final quarter of the year with the same enthusiasm.

She Said,

For the 3T family, the beginning of the Arizona Season always starts with a visit to Schnepf Farms for their annual Pumpkin and Chili Party. I look forward to this tradition with the same wide-eyed-child-like anticipation of a visit from Santa Claus.

Schnepf farms is one of the last family-owned and operated farms left in Queen Creek. The owners, Mark and Carrie Schnepf open their home to thousands of school children and families over the course of each season, which begins October 5th and runs thru the weekends of October, November and the evenings in December.  Voted by Phoenix Magazine (Sept. 2006) as “one of the top 50 things every Phoenician should do at least once,” this event is one my family believes should be visited at least once every year!
Our tradition starts with the building of the scarecrow, which has its special spot on our patio thru October.  From stuffing hay into a pair of old jeans and a shirt to painting the burlap sack that will pass as the head of our scarecrow, the kids and Kevin have a wonderful time putting him together while I wildly and randomly snap photos of each phase.  Next, it’s time to check out all the old time rides and activites that are set up for kids. We’ll wander over to a karoake station set up for kids to sing their hearts out to the adoration and clapping of parents. The oversized tricycles are a big hit with both Tayler and Riley, who go round and round the maze for a good hour before they hit the giant slide and the old time miniature rollercoaster.  With the corn maze, miniature golf, music and hay rides, the feeling one gets is of stepping into an eighteenth century country fair.

Two of my favorite activites are chow time and the train ride thru the haunted corn maze. The chili is out of this world! I’m not that big of a chili fan, but there is something about the farm’s atmosphere that has me craving THEIR chili from the moment we enter the farm! Of course, the corn bread is the perfect side dish.  As we eat and listen to the live band playing some old time country music, you can’t help but get caught up in the festive country spirit that pervades the grounds.  The train ride through the Schnepf farm grounds is relaxing and occasionally scary as the kids dressed in costumes jump out at the train once you’re in the maze.

An added bonus is at sunset.  Nothing obstructs the view as the sun goes down among the most vivid colors of the painted sky.  This year I have every intention of trying to capture the beauty of a country sunset. Both Kevin and I have noted that the most beautiful sunset we have seen has been from Schnepf farms two years ago. This year, I’m going to be ready for it!  Fingers crossed, God blesses us with a spectacular sunset this year!  For me, nothing beats the country fair of Schnepf farms!  I prefer this atmosphere to the state fair, or any other event offered this time of year.

On Friday the 13th, the 3T family will be wandering Schnepf farms from 3:00 PM until well past dark, when the bon fires are glowing brightly with kids roasting marshmellows.  This year the newest attraction will be a haunted house dubbed the “Nest,” which is not-so-child-friendly.  As it isn’t recommended for children under the age of 13, it is a “must-see” for my kids, who claim their jaded sense of what’s scary does not cover a haunted house at the family-friendly chili-party.  (I’ll let you know if they manage to bring a scare to my pre-teen and tweener.)
By the time we start heading for the exit, there are two very important activities left for us to complete.  The first, which can take up to a half hour, is browsing through the pumpkin field rows the two pumpkins that Tayler and Riley will pick out to carve for the patio.  As we head for the exit and the cash register, we also pick up one of their many home made pies.  With a wide variety of flavors, ours usually is a pumpkin pie.  The first we’ll eat of the season.

If you happen to make it out to Schnepf farms on Friday the 13th, look for us and say “howdy!”

Love,

3T

The Details:

Schnepf Farms Pumpkin & Chili Party

Where:
Schnepf Farms 24810 S Rittenhouse Road, Queen Creek

When:
10:00 AM - 9:00 PM Thursdays & Sundays
10:00 AM - 10:00 PM Fridays & Saturdays
Today through October 29th

Admission:
$12.00 Adults $14.00 children 3 - 12 yrs. old. Free for children 2 and younger. Tickets are $10.00 and $12.00 if purchased at Fry’s Food Stores

For more details:
480-987-3100 or http://www.schnepffarms.com

Know where to go for the Valley’s best guide to events, dining, nightlife,
movies & more:
http://entertainment.azcentral.com/

You can run a Google search and find a lot of sites carrying Christina Sunga Ryook’s name.

But once you’ve scoured the Internet, you realize that all those references have to do with September 11, 2001, terror attack on the Twin Towers.

Christina never had a chance to make her own imprint on the Internet because the attack took her away from the world at far too early an age. Christina was 25 when she died on what should have been just another day at work at the human resources division of Cantor Fitzgerald on the 104th floor of the World Trade Center.

Buried amoung sites that simply list her as being among the devastatingly mind-numbing list of 9/11 victims is one site that gives a little bit of information about Christina. A Korean native who grew up in Westlake, Ohio, she was a member of her high school National Honor Society chapter and was involved in the school’s band program, playing the mellophone in the marching band, the clarinet in the concert band and percussion in the jazz band. She graduated in 1994 and went on to pursue her studies at the University of Michigan, where she graduated in 1998 with a degree in psychology.

It appears that she blossomed in college as someone who celebrated her Korean roots. She was an officer in both the Asian American Association and the Korean Students Association. She organized a cultural day program with the latter group for adopted Korean children that won recognition as best of its kind by the United Asian Associations Organization. She was also a practitioner of traditional Korean dance, participating in the Annual program of the Generation Asian Pacific Association, hosted by UAAO.

Christina also continued her education at Eastern Michigan University, pursuing a double master’s in education and history. Then she took her ill-fated break from school to work at Cantor Fitzgerald.

Like so many hundreds more victims of that terrible day, Christina’s death no doubt left many relatives and friends with a sense of grief and loss that continues today. But you can’t help but wonder what we, those who didn’t know her, lost when the terrorist attack snatched this promising young girl from our world.

As we take time to remember and grieve the loss of the 2996 victims that horrendous day September 11 2001, remember to say a prayer for the family and friends who loved them, and continue to feel that loss 5 years later. God Bless and comfort each of them.

Dae Jin & Kyung Woo Ryook, we remember your daughter, and lift prayers for you and your family, this the 5 year anniversary of a day that will live forever in our memories, as a day of historic tragedy.

Christina Sunga Ryook, Age 25 We Remember....

I’m just getting this out of the way. Mondays suck. Period. No way around it, they just do. It enters my mind every Monday, so I’m just going to start whining about it, every Monday. So if negativity is a turn off, I’ll see ya on Tuesdays. 

Next, one thing I do manage to enjoy on Mondays, is going down my blogroll and catching up with everyone. The other part of that, is usually sticking my two cents in, with a comment or three. Except this Monday, if you have a Blogger blog, and do not have a word verification, NONE of my comments appeared on your site. WHY? Beats hell outta me! Here’s hoping the problem corrects itself by Tuesday.

As we are still in Domestic Violence Awareness Month, here is an Editorial that ran in the Mesa Section of the AZ Republic newspaper on Friday last week. I thought it was well done, so here it is. (Damn this is a long month!)

On that note, I promise to be in better spirits tomorrow.

An extremely talented and intelligent writer has spoken out on behalf of America’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month, as well as Canada’s Child Abuse Prevention Month. Jay at Kill the Goat wrote two posts today, that are powerful reads, succinctly stated. I honestly didn’t think I could respect this lady’s ability to write anymore then I already do. Until she wrote her posts today.

One of her statements, that hit home with me today, was “Don’t be a victim of silence.” Not keeping this scourge on our Society in the shadows hidden away, is one of the biggest points of Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Child Abuse Prevention Month.  And Jay has put it so eloquently in her posts Not Anymore and Purple Ribbon.

Another wonderful lady I have just started reading recently, who has stepped up and spoken out is Sue at The Torn Pages. She lives a very happy life, with a kind and loving husband now. This wasn’t always the case, and in her blog The Dark Madness she shares from times past, when life was not what it is today. Her posts in Dark Madness are her thoughts, feelings and perspective on this dark time in her life. Her candidness is disarming, honest and raw. To read from her life in The Torn Pages and then read from The Dark Madness, the contrast is startling. And I think provides a much needed hope for women out there, suffering silently in an abusive relationship. They CAN get out, and there will be chances for a happier and safe life.

There is hope for breaking the cycle. There is help.
If you’re in an abusive relationship, and need or want to talk to someone, please call The National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-799-SAFE. The necessary help is available, you cannot afford to wait! For more extensive information on Domestic Violence, go to Help Guide.

If you haven’t already done so, the post by Bitchatude A Faux Fairytale is very enlightening emotional tale from her life.

Dynamic Ladies posting on Domestic Violence this month.

Bitchatude - A Faux Fairytale
Jay - Not Any More & Purple Ribbon at Kill the Goat
Sue - The Torn pages & Dark Madness

A very special Thank You to these dynamic and caring Women!

If you’re in an abusive relationship, and need or want to talk to someone, please call The National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-799-SAFE. The necessary help is available, you cannot afford to wait!

If you didn’t catch my previous post, read this powerful story of a courageous woman, her experience in an abusive relationship and how she got out!

A Faux Fairytale by Bitchatude

An excerpt from my story

Since 1984 I have been acutely aware of the month of October, as that of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The more that it is out in the open, the more likely that vicitims will make that crucial first phone call, to get out, and be safe!




Your inner feelings and dialogue: Fear, self-loathing, numbness, desperation

--Are you fearful of your partner a large percentage of the time?
--Do you avoid certain topics or spend a lot of time figuring out how to talk about certain topics so that you do not arouse your partners negative reaction or anger?
--Do you ever feel that you cant do anything right for your partner?
--Do you ever feel so badly about yourself that you think you deserve to be physically hurt?
--Have you lost the love and respect that you once had for your partner?
--Do you sometimes wonder if you are the one who is crazy, that maybe you are overreacting to your partners behaviors?
--Do you sometimes fantasize about ways to kill your partner to get them out of your life?
--Are you afraid that your partner may try to kill you?
--Are you afraid that your partner will try to take your children away from you?
--Do you feel that there is nowhere to turn for help?
--Are you feeling emotionally numb?
--Were you abused as a child, or did you grow up with domestic violence in the household?
-- Does domestic violence seem normal to you?

For the first time, a strong survivor of Domestic Violence speaks out, telling her own nightmare. The amount of strength needed to tell of ones own personal struggle with Domestic Violence should not be under estimated.

In honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Bitchatude shares her experience, her sons experience going thru a system that just didn’t work. This story is so poignant I urge every reader to go and read her story.

Her strength and bravery will leave you amazed. The amount she suffered will enrage and break your heart. I cannot possibly do this remarkable story justice. Please read A Faux Fairytale, written by Bitchatude.

My love goes out to this extraordinary and strong lady! Thank you Bitchatude for sharing this with all of us.

Today is October 1st, the start of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Something I have always been acutely aware of since October of 1984. I left my abuser on my 21st Birthday (September 19th) of 1984. A lot of my memories of my time with him and leaving him are as vivid as if they had happened yesterday. Although the emotion involved has dissipated completely, it is a scar that remains to remind me there are hundreds of thousands of women and children, and in some cases men living this nightmare to this day.

During the month of October I will be sharing this story in as much entirety as I can. Maybe to shed some light on this for people who know of a loved one and friend being abused, and to let those being abused know they have choices. Their world can change! Some of you who read me here, may not see why I need to go into such vivid detail about the actual abuse, and if it is something you would rather not read, I completely understand.  Suffice it to say, I feel the need to share it all, in all it’s ugly degradation.

The AZ Republic, our Newspaper here in Arizona, and a great supporter of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, has already started running stories on this. I will share some of what is being done here in AZ to help battle this disease on our society. Their first article, written by John Faherty, talks about how young people are being made aware of this major National problem.

If you have a loved one or friend who is suffering thru Domestic Violence, the first step as with anything, is to educate yourself and the victims. This month, here in Stumbling/Grace is my humble attempt, at aiding this effort.